Hey, guys! Quick update: I sent my carbs to Ducatiman and got them back really quickly! The guy's some sort of magician. Here's Ducantiman's thread showing the before and after.
https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=330041
Thank you guys so much for point me towards him! The guy's saint and his enthusiasm for what he does is contagious.
I've tried to start it once I finally got the air intake boots to slip over the carburetor. (Seriously, this took more effort than I'd like to admit. I gave up on it earlier this week and woke up the next day with muscle aches. Haha)
The good news is that it'll turn over now(choke fully engaged only)! But it won't idle for too long. Three seconds after it turns over, it dies. I got a bit of smoke from the tail pipes once but afterwards none at all.
Any suggestions on what to do next?